(STUB FOR CHICKEN. BM Ananias Canlas Jr. shows stubs with candidate Jomar Hizon’s picture. Photo by Bong Lacson)
(Residents of Bitas, Arayat swarm around a refrigerated truck from where they trade their stubs for chicken. Contributed photo)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The provincial chair of the Liberal Party said Friday his group was finalizing vote-buying charges against gubernatorial challenger Jomar Hizon.
And the voters were paid only small-sized frozen chicken, lamented LP provincial chair Ananias Canlas, in a press conference here yesterday.
He showed media photos of the alleged vote-buying activities of Hizon, who is currently the mayor of Bacolor town, in Barangay Bitas in Arayat last April 10.
“It was exploitation of poor people who travelled from faraway places only to be given tiny chicken each,” he said. But regardless of the chicken size, it was a criminal case of vote-buying, he added.
“I witnessed the vote-buying activities, so my case is strong,” said Canlas who is seeking reelection as provincial board member under the LP. While he is perceived to be a close ally of the Pinedas, he stressed that his decision to file vote-buying charges against Hizon was a “unilateral move.”
Hizon is running against incumbent Vice Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda of the local Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan) party, with his mother, Gov. Lilia G. Pineda as vice governor.
Canlas said that during a meeting with residents of Bitas in Arayat, local folk were issued stubs with the photo of Hizon with an indication he was running for governor. They were then told to proceed to the local barangay covered court where supporters of Hizon later distributed frozen dressed chicken in exchange for the stubs.
He said that folk who received frozen chicken later issued sworn statements confirming vote buying by Hizon’s camp. Bitas chairman Jovito Bulanadi and local police chief Lt. Col. Dale Soliba also later signed a statement confirming Hizon’s activities at the covered court.
Canlas expressed confidence that the vote-buying charges would eventually disqualify Hizon from running for governor.
